


Gold Echo #1

by alexlaufey



Series: Gold Echo [1]
Category: Aesthetic Perfection - Fandom, Music - Fandom
Genre: AU, Angst, Cowboys, Daniel being a cowboy, Death, Fighting, Friendship, Grief, Industrial music, Mara being a horse, Other, Outlaws, Pain, Sickness, Suffering, War, Western, Wild West AU, cowboy, friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:40:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexlaufey/pseuds/alexlaufey
Summary: Living in the Wild West is tough, especially when the golden era slowly starts to fate.Yet lone wolf Daniel tries to seek for a better opportunity, a better life.Even though his way will be hard, following his echo of his dream.Gold Echo #1
Series: Gold Echo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099709
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Gold Echo #1

The rain hasn’t kissed the dry grounds for weeks. My glimpse wandered up, to the merciless sun whose cruel beams felt like whips on my skin. Some were praying. I don’t even know to who I should pray. It’s been to long since the hands of mercy have touched me, so I stopped believing. Neither did I want to be a puppet of an almighty one. What else did I want to be?  
Free. I could almost hear the desert calling me. “Daniel! Daniel!” The heat wasn’t good for my head. Like the sands knew my name, even though I haven’t heard it for a long time. They were calling me Butterfly, probably because of the tattoo on my throat. Thousands of needles with the brightest colors I’ve ever seen stitching down, underneath my skin. Yet I haven’t been crying. I never could, not even as a child. Not even when I lost my eye.   
A soft sigh escaped my lips and I tried to get up. My knees were shaking, I already could see some black spots in front of my sight. “Fuck.” I cursed, while I tried to reach my horse. “Mara!” I called her, knowing the mare will walk right towards me, even though she has been standing probably just a few meters away from me.   
Warm fur was the first thing I felt as soon as she stopped right next to me. I still couldn’t really see anything, so I tried to grope for the saddle. The fine, brown hairs of her were almost tickling my fingers, as I stroked over the coat. A sigh of relief escaping my lips since I still couldn’t feel any ribs. Since it wasn’t raining, the food went rarer during these days and lots of horses were starving, their ribs and bones showing. Most of them were dead after that status, but thankfully Mara still seemed to have enough fat and muscles. My hand wandered a bit forward and finally I could make a grab at the blanket, just like the familiar leather saddle.   
“Good girl”, I mumbled, while she held patiently still, as I struggled to get up blindly on her back. Sometimes I wondered how she can be so patient with me. Never bucked me off or bit when I did something wrong. A good girl. I just hoped that she would live a few more years. Nobody lived a long life in the Wild West. There were just so many ways to die.   
The leather pressed against my thighs as soon as my feet found immediately the way into the stirrup. Weird, how safe I felt on her back. I didn’t even have to think anymore what I do. My tongue flicked and she started to walk. Her hooves were damp in the sand as I rode through the village. I needed to get out of there. There was a little tingle in my gut telling me, that’s the only way to survive. The people here would starve. Probably eating each other and going mad. No, I needed to get away from here. Somewhere to make the big money, living the best life. Just me and Mara. Like always. I didn’t even need to pack my things, since I didn’t have anything.   
The most important things were in the saddlebag and my revolver close to my belt. So far, I’ve never encountered a situation when I had to use Alfie. But I knew the day will come one day. I should be ready for that.   
Without any last words, I let Mara trot through the two dry trees, which marked the beginning of the village or camp where I’ve been for the past few months. They won’t miss me. Nobody has ever missed me. That was okay. I’ve never missed anyone either. Except the damn rain. Still, I didn’t pray. I just hoped. Might be as foolish as praying, but at least I won’t be anyone’s puppet.   
The dry air was pressing on my lungs, I had to cough several times. “Fuck”, I muttered, shaking. Still, Mara was trotting forward, ignoring my fidgeting. I knew that she had somewhat blood from far east. Must be dry there as well. Such a fragile fella, yet stronger than I was. The sun will burn one day my skin off and Mara would be still trotting straight ahead, until I’ll give her the order to turn. What a weird horse.   
“Slow down”, I mumbled, and she stopped, her crescent moon-like ears perking up. She must have heard it as well. Maybe today was the day to use Alfie. There! That noise again! A loud crack right next to us. My heartbeat immediately got faster. When I heard a little grow, I forgot Alfie and pressed my thighs into Maras flanks. No way I would wrestle a coyote or wolf! The predators must be hungry as well! No water, only skinny prey … We must look like a full meal for them.   
Mara neighed panicked and just sprinted. We were flying above the dry land, the sand around us seemed to blur. All I could feel was my loud heartbeat and the muscles moving of my horse. I just wanted to get away from there. Predators mostly hunt in packs, so there must be quite a few around.   
I didn’t know for how long she galloped through the West, but suddenly Mara stopped. Her legs were shaking, and a soft huff escaped her nostrils. It has been too much for her. Fuck. With a dry throat, I hopped down of her, already seeing black spots. “I am sorry, doll.” Gently, I patted her neck, before I turned around. There must be water somewhere. I just needed a bit water for my horse and for me.   
Coughing, I walked forward, every step felt like plumb was underneath my shoes. “For fucks sake!” I almost screamed, but my voice, just broke. Shit, I didn’t want to die under the golden sun. Not because of thirst. I heard the soft thuds of Mara’s hooves behind me, until I could only hear the wild silence …

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was the - short - prologue of a book full of lost dreams and pain. I hope you've enjoyed reading.


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